PLYING FISH. 5 



irksome; for^ pent up in a small vessel, the 

 spirits will droop ; and where is recreation to be 

 found, but in amusements so apparently trifling 

 as these ? 



On the 1th of May we crossed the tropic of 

 Cancer, in long. 20° 8' W. Old Neptune, ac- 

 cording to custom, hailed the ship from his in- 

 visible car, in order to procure the names of 

 those who had not travelled in his dominions 

 before. After receiving them, he vanished, pro- 

 mising to pay another visit at his head- quarters, 

 (the Equator,) very much to the horror of some 

 of our friends on board, who verily believed the 

 ship struck upon the line. 



Flying-fish, and Holothuria physalis,'^ com- 

 monly called Portuguese men-of-war, now be- 

 gan to make their appearance ; and the beautiful 

 prismatic-coloured bladders of the latter, as the 

 sun shone upon them, reflected all the beautiful 

 rays of sparkling emeralds. Should any person 

 happen to touch the long fibres that hang from 

 them, he will suffer most excruciating pain, far 



